The Return of the Drums

Is that thunder that you hear? Nay, it is me playing my resurrected drum set. I have been able to set this bad boy up in my own house for the first time, and it. is. glorious. The weather won't affect them as it did when they sat in my parent's garage; the neighbors are far enough away to not complain; and they will get much less dust on them!

My drum set was sold to me by one of my friends several years ago (Thanks, Trent!) and I enjoyed adding to it and getting it up to snuff for a while before I moved away from Murray. Now that we have a new house, I was able to set 'er on up again! And again! And I'm still setting it up, because I have an obsession with it being set perfectly to how I want it.

Time for some technical garbage that only drummers will probably appreciate!

The drum set is a Pearl Export Series, in a shade of green. Some have thought that it was grey, which I can understand since it's never had great lighting, but I promise that it is green. I have three rack toms in 10 inches, 12 inches, and 14 inches; two floor toms in 16 inches and 18 inches; a 22 inch bass, a 14(?) inch Pearl snare drum; a Yamaha Snare drum which needs some pampering; and two DW deccabons. I use a plethora of random cymbals, mainly due to inheriting most of them.  My favorite piece of hardware is my Tama Iron Cobra double bass pedal, for all of my metal needs! 

BPP #12

I don't know if anyone enjoys reading these, but oh well... ;)

1. We went to Asheville, North Carolina for our anniversary. Also, several people have recently commented to us that we sure do travel a lot. Well, duh! No denying that! We both think that people should take the opportunities to travel when you get the chance, because one day you might not get those chances anymore.! If our parents are going to invite us to stay with them at Gatlinburg, or Gulf Shores.....OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO GO! Firstly, we love traveling. Secondly, it's a cheap vacation. And lastly, and most importantly, we get to get away from the grind and spend time together (and with our family)! 

Anyway, for our anniversary, we planned a trip alone to Asheville and it was delightful. Click here to read the Asheville blog post!

2. My dad was in a really bad wreck. You might be thinking..... "uh, why is this one of your favorite things?" WELL, miraculously everyone involved were completely 100% ok! He, my uncle, and 2 other men from their church were driving to Elizabethtown to help their new pastor move. It was raining pretty bad, and their truck hydroplaned then hit a guard rail. THEN it the truck preceded to spin around, flip upside down, and then drag across I-65 via the roof of the truck. All of them were wearing their seat belts, so they were suspended upside down as cares raced by their overturned truck. 

My dad, uncle, and one of the other guys were eventually able to help each other in getting out of the car. With the help of an ambulance, finally the other man was taken out of the car and rushed to the hospital. They thought he might have some head trauma, with the possibility of even worse. At this point, it did not look good for him...

THEN, once they all arrived at the hospital, Danny was surprisingly talking and joking, like he normally does. After a short while, and a few staples later, EVERYONE left E-town alive and well! 

There are so many variables that could have been different and made this year's Father's Day terrible for four families. Thankfully, God was watching over them as they traveled that day and gave us all a miracle. I'm so glad that everyone was ok and that I got to spend another Father's Day with my dad. I love you, Dad!

3. Another wedding happened! Well, technically, it was a reception, not a wedding. A friend from high school, Chelsea, got married on June 6 (same day as Lauren's) at the beach! The couple had their reception 2 weeks later in their hometown and celebrated with many friends and family! They had their first dance, the best man and matron of honor gave their toasts, and they showed a video from their wedding ceremony. I really enjoyed watching the wedding video and watching the wedding video to get to see their faces throughout the day: excitement during getting ready, happiness and a bit of nervousness during the ceremony, and love (and relief) after the kiss! It was a relaxed, yet very classy reception! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Alexander!

Additionally, I got to see all of my other high school friends as well!

Our First Anniversary Trip

This year, for our anniversary, we decided to take a vacation to Asheville, North Carolina. Since neither of us had ever been there, this was the first vacation we took where we were both experiencing a new place at the same time. Additionally, we especially needed a nice relaxing vacation after my sister's wedding and moving! So, we were both pretty excited!

Of course, I did some research to find out the big things that we should add to our itinerary, so we were prepped and ready to go! For some reason, we were both expecting Asheville to be very similar to Charleston. Maybe its because they are both in the Carolinas; who knows.... but we soon found out, that it is very different form Charleston.

Day 1: We arrived in Asheville on Friday afternoon. I feel like the normal thing to do is arrive to your vacation destination on a Saturday or Sunday, however, there were several things we wanted to do on Friday and Saturday morning. So, we decided to start our trip on Friday. Every Friday night the Asheville Drum Circle happens in Pritchard Park. We thought this would be pretty interesting. And boy, was it interesting! Accompanying the drum circle was a mosh pit, which appeared have the potential for rowdiness. That's all I'm going to say about that. It was funny, yet a bit uncomfortable.

Day 2: We wanted to do a walking tour like we did in Charleston, and discovered Asheville By Foot. Kevin, our tour guide, was very knowledgable about both historic and current Asheville life. We walked all over downtown getting our feet wet for the remainder of our trip! We loved it, and I would recommend it to anyone going to Asheville!

Day 3: OUR ANNIVERSARY. On this day we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway. We started in Asheville (obviously) and made several pit stops traveling north. Some highlights included Craggy Gardens, Linn Cove Viaduct, Linville Falls and Gorge, and Mt. Mitchell (the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River). Additionally, we went on a short hike, had a picnic, visited 3 National Park visitor's centers, and browsed the Folk Art Center.

Day 4: This day included the biggest tourist attraction known to Asheville: the Biltmore Estate. I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but this mansion is so amazing! We enjoyed an audio tour of the house, a lunch in the courtyard, and wandering around the Biltmore Gardens. Afterwards we drove over to Antler Hill Village to shop, eat some ice cream, visit the Biltmore Museum, and go on the winery tour. It was a good day, and definitely worth the ticket price!

Day 5: This was a complete relax day, which was unquestionably needed! First, we got a Couple's Massage (4 thumbs up). Then we swam and laid by our hotel pool for a few hours. Last, we enjoyed a little shopping at Asheville Outlets.

Day 6: We explored downtown some more on day 6. First, we walked through the Grove Arcade, stopping in several local shops. Next, we ventured over to the Basilica of St. Lawrence, one of only 82 Basilicas in the United States. As the day progressed we made our way to the Thomas Wolfe site and museum. Thomas Wolfe is a famous Asheville author. Last, we went to the French Broad Chocolate Factory and Tasting room. Very interesting place and very strong chocolate!

If you decide to visit Asheville, maybe you could use this post as a guide. We had a great time on our anniversary trip! CLICK HERE to see the accompanying video!

DIY Fire Starter Pods

One of our most favorite wedding gifts we received is our fire pit. When the weather is right, we will just sit outside next to the crackling fire just thinking and talking (and sometimes pretending to make Chinese food out of Koba and Yuki).

Right when it started getting too cold to be sitting outside, fire or no fire, I found a project to make your own fire starter. I had first heard of this from my aunt Rita, but then it was revived in my brain by some random list of practical things you can do for free with stuff you already have. If you know me, you know I like to save money when I can, hence this project, hence this blog post, hence me saying the word hence.

What you will need:

• Dryer lint (I've been saving this for several months)
• Cardboard egg cartons (say no to styrofoam if you're into saving the environment)
• Wax (I used old crayons)
• Container for the wax (I used an old jar)

Directions

1. Press wads of dryer lint into the egg carton. I pushed in as much as I could without it overflowing.

2. Melt the wax. I read online that wax will melt faster if you submerge the container holding the wax into boiling water. This worked pretty well, but I just had to monitor it the whole time.

3. Pour the melted wax on top of the dryer lint. The wax should completely cover the lint and will soak into it and the egg carton a bit. CAUTION: remember, you are handling hot glass or hot metal, so be sure you use oven mits. 

4. Let the wax dry. Separate the pods by tearing or cutting them apart. Store in a cool place. Remember, these things are partially made of wax, so if you store them in the garage or outside in hot weather, the wax may melt and cause the pods to harden back together. 

Well, there ya have it. 

Cost: Free

An Ode to the Stanley Cup Champions

An ode to you, O Mighty Stanley Cup Champions!
How much I do loathe thee, Blackhawks team.
You barely make the playoffs, only to win, and make it look easy.
Thy Stanley Cups make me nauseous, and you leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
To keep thy team under the salary cap is miraculous; who doth thy finances?
Who doth thy negotiations, and can they negotiate things for me?
The NHL Front Office worships thee, and they cater to your every whim.
Even officials are so dazzled by your majesty that they cannot call offsides, or too many men!
Penalties evade thee like I try to evade thy intoxicated, imbecile fans.
What a glorious day it will be when thy mighty players become old and senile and cannot play.
May draft picks allude you; may the Cup never fall into thy filthy hands again.
My thy fans turn on you and become fans of the teams that haunt the Blackhawk's dreams.
I hate thee, and wish nothing but ill will upon thee, O Champions of Salary Cap Evasion!
Thy team is impossible! Congratulations are due for thee! Congratulations on keeping so many superstars together on a team! Congratulations-your fans are some of the worst in the league! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congra---sorry, I threw up from thinking about you too much, O Champions.

Click on these links to see my analyses and predictions from other rounds:
Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | An Ode to the Champions

Top 5 in Year 1

How do you summarize a year of your life? I'm intensely trying to resist making a "Rent" reference right now..... Anyway.... seriously, how can you sum up the first year of marriage? We have had so many memories, created new family traditions, and discovered interesting things about ourselves and each other!

So, to avoid writing you a narrative novel about everything fun we did this year, we decided to pick 5 categories and we would each pick our favorite thing in each category. Thus, Top 5 in Year 1.

Our Honeymoon plus other Traveling Adventures - Our honeymoon was fantastic and we got to experience several other new places together as well. We went to Charleston, SC; St. Louis, MO; Gulf Shores, AL; The Smoky Mountains, TN during our first year!

Ashley: My favorite thing we did on a vacation was go on a walking tour in Charleston. It was really interesting to learn about the history of the city and the people who lived there. Although, it was a hot day, we both enjoyed this adventure on our honeymoon! A close second, for me, is when we went on the Fort Sumter Boat ride in Charleston.

Nathan: My favorite thing that we did on vacation was also the walking tour. If I've been on one before, I've pushed it from my mind, but this tour was awesome! That being said, all of our vacations have had their great moments.


Koba and Yuki - This year, not only did we get one cat (which I thought would never happen), but we got two! Koba and Yuki are great entertainers and can almost always provide a laugh. We have so many stories about them, so it is a bit hard to narrow it down to one!

Ashley: My best memory of our cats is when they are snuggly. Although I think its funny when they play, its so sweet to watch them nuzzle up next to each other and sleep together.

Nathan: My favorite memory with both of them would have to be when I took them upstairs to their room and I had one under each arm. I (gently) bumped their heads together and Koba took great offense to it, and turned around and smacked Yuki! I guess he thought she had done it on purpose.


Exciting New Dates - We've had several really fun dates this year!

Ashley: My favorite date was when we went to see Miranda Sings live. I've been watching Colleen Ballinger (and her alter-ego, Miranda) on YouTube for years now, so I was so excited when she announced she would be coming to Nashville! Nathan was such a trooper to go and watch her with me ;)

Nathan: One of my favorite things we did was the last Predators game we went to see. The Preds were playing the Blackhawks in the playoffs...I saw several in-person firsts: first playoff win, first hat trick, first time a fan pulled a knife on another fan (that part was scary) but it was awesome!


Holidays - What a special time it has been this year to be able to spend all of the holidays with the one you love! This year we combined our family traditions, as well as created some of our own!

Ashley: My favorite thing we did on a holiday was around Christmas-time when we went to see the "Dancing Lights of Christmas." It was so awesome to drive through the park with the lights blinking to the Christmas Carols! We took Koba with us, and he seemed to love it too! It was a fun night.

Nathan: Taking Koba to the dancing lights was a lot of fun! I also enjoyed getting to go to Patti's at Christmas with my side of the family. 


A Year Together - There are so many wonderful things about being married! God has blessed us with each other and we are honored to love and respect each other. 

Ashley: The top moment of our lives during this year together is really several moments rolled into one. My favorite times are when we are having deep conversations, as well as being weird together. Both of these situations show vulnerability. I'm grateful to have someone who I can be vulnerable with and who feels the freedom to be vulnerable with me!

Nathan: I love being able to tell Ashley anything. There have always been parts of me that I've kept to myself. I share some of my weirdness with everyone, but Ashley gets to see every part of me...probably more weirdness than anything! I know that she is my soulmate and it's fantastic to know that she truly gets me and accepts me, no matter what. Deep conversations, simple dates, just getting to be completely transparent with her are my favorite times. 

Brown Paper Packages #11

WOW! So much has happened since the last time I posted a BPP! Holy Moly!

Memorial Day Weekend Vacation! Nathan and I had planned to go to Gatlinburg in February with his parents and brother. Well.... that was when we had the snow week and our cabin informed us that that we would not be able to make it up the mountain to our cabin. SO...we rescheduled it for Memorial Day Weekend. In February, we were bummed that we weren't able to go. But, Memorial Day weekend actually worked out better because Nathan and I were able to stay an extra day because of the National Holiday! I wrote about what we did in this post and recorded the whole thing in this video.

Lauren's Pre-Wedding Festivities! I got the opportunity to host several girls for a few days before Lauren and Blake's wedding. It was so fun getting to know some of Lauren's closest friends and enjoying the days before the wedding. Find out all of the details here.

The Lam Wedding! It was a wonderful day! The weather was great, albeit hot; the ceremony was lovely, and Lauren and Blake both looked fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The day actually seemed to go by quicker than our own wedding day! Click here to find out more details of her big day!

We Moved! Yes, amidst all of the craziness in the past 3 weeks (vacation, wedding preparation, and the wedding......also add in 2 visits to the vet, and a massive cold where I lost my voice) we found a new place to live, ended our old lease, packed all of our stuff, moved, and unpacked everything. I guess we both work well under stress. I don't know.

Enjoying Family Time! Because of Lauren's wedding, we got to spend time with several family members who we don't get to see that often! We spent several nights having fun with Rita, Dennis, and Sydney, complete with last night's 2nd annual Talent Under the Stars!

The Smokies

Over Memorial Day Weekend, we took a family trip to the Smoky Mountains. It was great to relax and enjoy quality family time. Below are pictures from the weekend, and here is a video of all of our adventures!

A vacation family photo!

Taking the Sky Lift to the top of Ober Gatlinburg. Nathan not having fun.

A view from the top of Ober Gatlinburg.

Enjoying a day at Dollywood.

Standing in line for one of the 6 roller coasters we rode at Dollywood.

A drive through the Great Smoky Mountains National park.

Pitstop to take a photo.

A view from the top of Newfound Gap. Wow! God is amazing!

The Newfound Gap is also the Tennessee/North Carolina State line.

Click here to watch our YouTube video of this trip!!

Matron of Honor Toast

It was requested for me to post my Matron of Honor toast in a blog post. I wasn't going to post it, but I feel like it is a good summary of my feelings, a good memory of the wedding day, and a good conclusion to this series. 

So, here it is:

"The Man for Lauren

As Lauren’s older sister, I have always felt an underlying responsibility to ensure her safety. I got my first taste of this feeling when we were on a vacation when we were in middle school. Our family had decided to do something fun and different, and we were going to go for a parasail ride in Panama City Beach.

As the boat revved up, we were lifted up into the air higher and higher into the sky. For several minutes, we were able to see several miles of the coast, waves crashing below, and the blue sky off into the horizon.

In the middle part of the parasail ride, the boat was going to slow down a bit, and dip our feet into the water. Long story short, our parachute, the ropes attaching us to the parasail, and our entire bodies were submerged under the ocean water.

I quickly untangled the ropes above my head and pushed back up to the surface, yet Lauren was still under the water. Luckily, she was connected directly in front of me, so I knew where she would be. I pulled up her lifejacket. Up popped her lifejacket, but no Lauren. Frantically, I pulled waved my arms beneath the water until I felt her and pulled her up.

Like any 10 or 11 year old would be after a traumatic event like this would be, she was obviously crying. I asked her if she was ok. “NO!...” she cried. When I asked her what was wrong, she exclaimed, “I lost my sunglasses!....” I just laughed.

Eventually, the parachute was pulled back onto the boat, the ropes were collected, and we were safe with our parents again.

THEN, like any sane person, we tried it again. And, it was great!

Although, this happened several years ago, it’s still pretty vivid in my memory, and a pivotal point in my life. It was the first time that I realized how much I cared what happens to Lauren. Whether it was subconsciously “protecting” her with my arm during white-water rafting, or telling off some friends who who were being mean to her in Disney World, or listening and giving her advice about boys, I’ve felt a responsibility to keep her safe (to some degree). So, when Blake came into the picture, it was only fitting to analyze him. After all, a man for Lauren has to meet specific criteria!

Criteria #1: The man for Lauren has to be someone who will go on adventures. When you get the chance to go on a parasail ride, take it! Don’t be afraid to have a new experience, do new things, and visit new places! Considering they’ve already traveled to at least 7 states together so far, I’d say they have this covered!

Criteria #2: The man for Lauren has to desire to see the world and appreciate God’s creation! See all the coastlines you can, watch the waves crash, and stare off into the horizon! More importantly, he needs to love God and love people. I have seen Blake’s compassion for people, and specifically his students. He and Lauren could not be more perfect for each other, in this way.

Criteria #3: The man for Lauren has to protect her always. When the ropes get tangled, set her free. When it gets hard to breathe, give her new wind. If you’ve ever met Blake, you know that his patience and understanding is unbelievable at times. He’s consistent and he’s steady, which will be perfect for Lauren.

Criteria #4: The man for Lauren has to have a sense of humor. When the sunglasses get lost, listen and sympathize, then you can laugh together. And trust me, there will be a lot of laughter, because Lauren will say a lot of hilarious stuff, whether she means to or not. So far, it seems that Blake is just as silly as she is.

Criteria #5: The man for Lauren has to be determined. If the the first parasail ride is a disaster, be crazy and do it again… ok, bad example. But seriously, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Nathan and I only have one year of experience, but I can tell you that marriage takes not only love, but also determination!

In short, Blake has met all of my criteria for the husband of my only sister. I am so happy for them, and I could not be more excited to see their relationship grow as the years go on.

Here’s to the Lam Fam."

Thank you everyone who has read the posts in this series! It has been fun to write. If you would like to start from the beginning, follow this link.

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Pre-Wedding Shenanigans

The 2 days leading up to the Lam Wedding were very full and fun! We had a bachelorette party, a bridal luncheon, and of course a rehearsal dinner!

The Thursday night before Lauren's wedding, I hosted a bachelorette party. It was a relaxed, Italian-themed party, where we ate homemade Italian cuisine, "painted like Michelangelo," and had Gelato (AKA regular ice cream sundaes). Later in the evening, Lauren opened some lingerie gifts and we all stayed up and talked late into the night!

I really enjoyed hosting and having everyone over to our new house! It was a pleasure having all of these awesome girls stay with me!

On Friday, my aunt, Melissa, and I organized a Bridal Luncheon, that took place in my parents' back yard. I'm so thankful for all that Melissa did for both my wedding, and Lauren's wedding. She is literally one of the best people you will ever meet...

Of course, we had girly food. We had chicken salad and pimento cheese on crescents, veggies, chips, cherry salad, cookies, and lemonade. It was delicious!!

The of course we took pictures, cause duh.

It was a pleasant afternoon with many wonderful ladies!

Friday night was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was phenomenal!!!! I could not get over how perfect the venue was and how delicious the food tasted! 

The cherry on top was getting to hear all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen give toasts about Lauren and Blake. I was amazed at how studly all of the groomsmen were and how their stories showed Blake's admirable character. The bridesmaids had so many nice things to say about Lauren as well! The Lams are truly blessed with (at least) 12 awesome people who believe in them, will support them,  and will hold them accountable! It was amazing to hear everyone speak!

It was a fantastic couple of days, and I feel so privileged to be a part of it!

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Lauren Lam

Well, my sister is officially married! It was a fun, stress-free day! Here's a run-down of some things that happened from the Matron of Honor's perspective!

Lauren and I left to go to her hair appointment. This was a good time to chit-chat and catch up with our beautician that we've had since we were little. In all honesty, I was a little bit nervous about the hairstyle Lauren had picked, but supportive anyway. But when Mrs. Denise was finished, it was beautiful! Mrs. Denise, if you're reading this, it looked beautiful and held perfectly all day!

Next, I drove us to the church where all of the bridesmaids had arrived and started getting ready and excited. We all painted our nails, got our hair curled and fixed, and got our make-up done. My mother-in-law did most of the hair and make-up. It was fun to have her there, and she did awesome! My hair is the curliest its every been in my entire life (which still isn't super curly, but getting my hair to curl at all AND HOLD is a feat)! Thank you, Melanie for taking on such a large task with the hair and makeup!

Before we knew it, the ceremony was due to start in 15 minutes! We prayed together. Then, we squealed together. Then we walked over to the church to take our places. It was game time. 

The ceremony was perfect! It went so smoothly and it was truly a worship service! Lauren looked beautiful, and Blake simply beamed! It was an honor to hold Blake's ring, hold Lauren's bouquet, and adjust Lauren's dress. My only regret is that I didn't memorize the words for the song that was included in the ceremony ;) (photo credit: Sarah Baldauff)

Directly after the ceremony, we took immediate family photos, bridal party photos, and relaxed while The Lams took couple photos. 

Then, we all caravanned to the reception location. I had never been to The Rawlings (the reception venue), so when we arrived, I was in for a special surprise! The Rawlings is beautiful, inside and out, and perfect for Lauren and Blake's wedding decor. I wish I had taken more pictures of the outside because the trees were tall, green, and luscious!

Things like Grand Entrances always make me feel awkward, but thankfully, the Best Man, Demetrius, agreed we should just walk in normal. Also, the DJ completely botched my last name, which was really funny, and made for several jokes throughout the night!

The Lam Fam danced their first dance, my dad and Lauren danced theirs, and Blake and his mom danced theirs. THEN the DJ forced all of the wedding party to come out and dance (which was completely unplanned, but ended up being really fun and hilarious).

The DJ, was legit. Thats all I really have to say about him! He was really good at knowing when to change it up and what songs to play!

My last responsibility came at 6:25, when I gave my toast. I was very nervous, which made me opt read it, instead of try to memorize it. As I predicted, I choked up. BUT, I think it was still good! Demetrius and my dad both gave their speeches, and they were both great!

The rest of the night consisted of eating, dancing, and laughing! It was a great reception and everyone seemed to have a great time! 

I'm so glad to have Blake as my brother-in-law and I'm so excited to witness Lauren and Blake's relationship grow! June 6, 2015 was a great day!

#LamFam15

For all of you new readers, click here to start at the beginning of the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series!

**NOTE: This is NOT the last post in the series. I will be posting tomorrow and the next day to finish up the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series! Then on Thursday, we will return to the normal Monday/Thursday rotation, and Friday will feature a new Brown Paper Packages. Yes! You're reading this correctly; there will be a new blog post EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! 

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